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Old 02-12-2010, 12:01 AM   #1
raws67
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Question 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Hey guys I just picked up a 78 short box fleetside 2 wheel drive Cheyenne and it says in the book that it is a 1/4 ton with F44 suspension. Anybody else have a 1/4 ton? I have never heard of one until now.
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Old 02-12-2010, 12:13 AM   #2
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

I've heard of one...they call it an S10...lol...sorry no help here...never heard of it
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Old 02-12-2010, 10:52 AM   #3
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Check with Keith Seymoor.
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Old 02-12-2010, 10:58 AM   #4
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

by any chance did you get it "half off", sorry i know its corny, i just had to say it. I have never seen or even heard of a 1/4 ton.
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Old 02-12-2010, 11:45 AM   #5
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Nope. Sounds like a typo to me.

What book are you referring to?

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Old 02-12-2010, 09:17 PM   #6
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

the owners manual. I will post pictures of what I am talking about on Sunday. Im headed to the mountains to do some snow camping today. Thanks for the replies. Rick
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Old 02-15-2010, 04:04 PM   #7
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

ok hopefully the picture comes out my VIN shows 4 under series.
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Old 02-15-2010, 08:18 PM   #8
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

the 4 on the vin in that spot means its a heavy half/ big 10, i belive, thats how i figured out mines a big 10.
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Old 02-15-2010, 08:34 PM   #9
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

a big 10 should be a 5/8 ton
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Old 02-15-2010, 11:01 PM   #10
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

So what does the big 10 mean? The 1/4 ton thing has been throwing me off.
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Old 02-15-2010, 11:13 PM   #11
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

The 4 is the heavy duty half ton designation so I would guess that the book has a misprint .
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Old 02-17-2010, 05:44 PM   #12
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

keith..??
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Old 02-17-2010, 06:38 PM   #13
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

a big 10 is a 1/2 ton with 3/4 ton rear springs good for pulling trailers,or mine is at least (and they have a perty sexy stance from the factory also with the nose down). they put the 3/4 ton springs on the back so it would meet like a 6200 pound GVW so chevy could run a regular c-10 with out cats they also came without the leaded fuel restritor and some came with a big 10 decal
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Old 02-18-2010, 08:33 AM   #14
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Quote:
Originally Posted by willett View Post
keith..??
I'm still thinking it's a typo.

The HD suspension is (by definition) heavier than the regular 1/2 ton, so it makes sense that whatever designation is used would be greater than "1/2".

I'm racking my brain to scheme a way that it is "1/4 of something bigger, so it's bigger" than 1/2 but nothing is coming to mind.

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Old 02-18-2010, 11:47 AM   #15
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Well if anybody else out there has a 1978 light duty owners manual could you check and see if it reads the same on yours? My truck was built November of 77 in the Freemont Plant and I guarantee this is the original owners manual too the truck so maybee it was an early typo or something. It sure seems like it would have said 1/2 ton with F44 suspension instead of 1/4.
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Old 08-28-2011, 11:55 PM   #16
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

OK, I realize this is bringing this thread back from the dead, but I have scanned my original owners manual for 1978 and it says the same thing:
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Old 08-29-2011, 01:22 AM   #17
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Like Corts60, I checked my owner's manual, also. My truck was built in Fremont in December 1977. It says the same thing. Funny I never caught it after 33 years.
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Old 08-29-2011, 07:58 AM   #18
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

It most likely means its a 1/4ton upgrade to the 1/2ton package.
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Old 08-29-2011, 08:03 AM   #19
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Quote:
Originally Posted by big10ratrod77 View Post
a big 10 is a 1/2 ton with 3/4 ton rear springs good for pulling trailers,or mine is at least (and they have a perty sexy stance from the factory also with the nose down). they put the 3/4 ton springs on the back so it would meet like a 6200 pound GVW so chevy could run a regular c-10 with out cats they also came without the leaded fuel restritor and some came with a big 10 decal
SO I can run 3/4 ton rear springs in my 86 C10 to increase the towing capacity? How will it affect the ride?
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Old 08-29-2011, 08:47 AM   #20
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

f44 package add that 1/4 to the 1/2 making a big 10 or a 5/8th ton
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Old 11-30-2011, 01:26 AM   #21
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

OK so I just got back to this post. Its been awhile between deployments etc... From all the research I did it has heavy duty brakes, smog pump and cats because of California. Evidently if it was federal emissions they didnt need to have the cats because of the heavier duty truck emissions. I believe that Dodge was doing the same thing with the little red express trucks. I will get a build post going here pretty soon so you can see this little blue truck.
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Old 11-30-2011, 02:59 AM   #22
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldfinger View Post
f44 package add that 1/4 to the 1/2 making a big 10 or a 5/8th ton
If you add 1/4 and 1/2 you would get 3/4, or 6/8. So it has to be the designation for 3/4 ton rear suspension.
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Old 11-30-2011, 04:51 AM   #23
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Looking at my 78 chevy factory stepside vin number it has the 4 in the vin. indicating its a 1/4 ton. I'm thinking its the short wheelbase option, making it a 1/4 ton because of the shorter wheelbase. I'll have to check a few other short and long bed we have for parts and see.


EDIT: looked on ebay at other trucks seen a couple longwheelbases that had the 4 in the vin. Now I'm going to be looking at the vins to see if they are a 1 or a 4

Last edited by ozark; 11-30-2011 at 05:21 AM.
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Old 11-30-2011, 08:35 AM   #24
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

1/4 ton truck...add a 3/4 race cam and you'll be hell on wheels!!!
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Old 12-01-2011, 02:47 PM   #25
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Re: 78 swb 1/4 ton?

Is the GVW over 6001lbs? If so, it definately has the HD suspension, and the fact its over 6001lbs is why there no cat or other emissions junk. trucks 6000lbs or less had full emissions equipment, trucks 6001lbs and over did not, they have whats called HD emissions, which means you get a PCV valve and the valve in the exhaust manifold for the heat crossover. no cats and you can run leaded gasoline. another indicator would be your fuel gauge. it should NOT say unleaded fuel only. 1978 was the last year for the 6001lbs and up gets HD emissions standard. for 1979 they changed it to 8501lbs and up gets HD emissions.

As far as rear springs go, there are essentially 2 sets for 1/2 ton, 2 for 3/4 ton, and 2 for 1-tons.

HD= heavy duty
LD= light duty or standard

1/2 ton HD springs are the same as 3/4 ton LD springs. HD 3/4 ton springs are the same as LD 1-ton springs. LD 1/2 ton springs and 1-ton HD springs stand alone and arent shared and may vary more than I know of. meaning there are probably more available spring ratios available than the two each i mentioned here. For what I mentioned though, they show the same part numbers for what crosses over.

This is why people with a 1/2 ton can say they have 3/4 ton suspension under it. they have the springs, but not the tad thicker frame and heavier brakes and steel bushings in the front suspension.


All I can guess the 1/4 means is it's 1/4 ton rated over normal 1/2 tons, which is mostly is.

Last edited by 78 Chevyrado; 12-01-2011 at 02:52 PM.
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